It is known that the relatively rapid oxidation of an ene-diol compound in the presence of catalytic metal ions, notably copper ions, effects substantially a complete kill of microorganisms which are in contact with it, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,139.
Commercial utility of the rapid oxidation of an ene-diol compound to obtain the benefit of its microbicidal effect is difficult because the reaction takes place so quickly when the necessary ingredients are in contact with each other that commercially packaged products do not have useful shelf life. U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,492 deals with aqueous compositions in which the rate of oxidation of ene-diols is retarded so that the microbicidal effects is sustained for a longer period. However, these compositions are not useful as commercial products because the reaction can only be retarded for a relatively short time, for example a matter of days, which is not long enough to provide a suitable shelf life for a commercial product. In addition, a highly retarded reaction is not as intense as an unretarded or a mildly retarded reaction so that the microbicidal effect is not as strong.
In the specification, the term microbe and variations of the word microbe are defined to include all microorganisms including, but not limited to, bacteria, fungi, and viruses.